The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This comedic science fiction novel follows the intergalactic adventures of an unwitting human, Arthur Dent, who is rescued just before Earth's destruction by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for a galactic travel guide. Together, they hitch a ride on a stolen spaceship, encountering a range of bizarre characters, including a depressed robot and a two-headed ex-president of the galaxy. Through a series of satirical and absurd escapades, the book explores themes of existentialism, bureaucracy, and the absurdity of life, all while poking fun at the science fiction genre and offering witty commentary on the human condition.
The 125th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 2431
This book was first published in 1979
37 Lists
- score: 139 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 152)
- score: 133 -- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years - 2016 (Weight: 168)
- score: 127 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life - 2019 (Weight: 152)
- score: 121 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 192)
- score: 91 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 120)
- score: 88 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 108)
- score: 88 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 144)
- score: 87 -- Big Read (Bulgarian) - 2009 (Weight: 124)
- score: 87 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 120)
- score: 81 -- The Big Jubilee Read - 2022 (Weight: 92)
- score: 76 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 112)
- score: 69 -- 50 Best Cult Books - 2016 (Weight: 88)
- score: 68 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2012 (Weight: 92)
- score: 68 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 92)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 72)
- score: 65 -- 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels That Everyone Should Read - 2013 (Weight: 88)
- score: 65 -- The Books You've Always Meant to Read - 2020 (Weight: 76)
- score: 63 -- Powell's Essential List: 25 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Isn't Enough: Our 25 Honorable Mentions - 2022 (Weight: 72)
- score: 61 -- Big Read (Hungarian) - 2005 (Weight: 100)
- score: 60 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read - 2004 (Weight: 96)
- score: 58 -- Big Read (German) - 2004 (Weight: 96)
- score: 58 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 112)
- score: 57 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 96)
- score: 56 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 80)
- score: 56 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 112)
- score: 55 -- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library - 2008 (Weight: 84)
- score: 46 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 68)
- score: 44 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 60)
- score: 44 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 88)
- score: 44 -- The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader - 2024 (Weight: 48)
- score: 43 -- The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years From 1953-2002 - 2003 (Weight: 72)
- score: 41 -- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books - 2011 (Weight: 56)
- score: 26 -- The 25 Best Science-Fiction Books of All Time - 2020 (Weight: 28)
- score: 25 -- Top 200 Science Fiction Books (Pre-2000) - 2021 (Weight: 28)
- score: 23 -- 100 Main Fantasy and Science-Fiction Books - 2008 (Weight: 36)
- score: 23 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 28)
- score: 10 -- The 100 Best Science Fiction Books of All Time - 2019 (Weight: 12)